With the proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on the East Side seemingly on hold, the federal agency has hit another snag as it looks to lease office space at the South Side’s Brooks development.
The problem with the Brooks project stems from a possible leasing violation, the Express-News reports.
Last month, the daily reported that ICE was looking to lease 75,000 square feet of space in two buildings at the WatersEdge office complex at Brooks. The proposed leases would run for 15 years at a combined cost of $51 million.
However, the Brooks Development Authority never approved that lease, according to the Express-News.
Instead, Dallas-based Preston Hollow Community Capital tried to sublease its space at WatersEdge to ICE without the development authority’s permission or notification, the paper reports.
Brooks officials maintain that the move violates the terms of the agreement.
Since learning of the violation, the Brooks Development Authority has given its legal counsel the green light to issue a formal notice of default to Preston Hollow, the Express-News reports.
Word of the showdown at Brooks comes after San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said during an appearance on Texas Public Radio that construction on the proposed East Side ICE facility is on pause while the Department of Homeland Security conducts an environmental review.
Meanwhile, Jones and three City Council members have expressed interest in reviewing the San Antonio Police Department’s cooperation with ICE following the 2026 midterms, in which Democrats swept to power in Austin and Washington, D.C.
“It’s important that we are making sure our police officers are focused on what their mission is, which is keeping us safe and not taking on other responsibilities that they’re not trained for and that actually make the community less safe when people are afraid to call the police,” Jones told the Current last week.
With Democrats taking control of the Texas House, along with every major statewide executive office, two San Antonio-area lawmakers also filed legislation Monday to end state-mandated cooperation with ICE and county sheriff’s departments via 287(g) agreements.
“During this historic session, we have the opportunity to make real, meaningful change,” state Sen. Jose Menéndez, who filed one of the bills, said in a statement. “Our team has worked alongside our constituents, advocates, and experts to craft solutions to better assist our community.”
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